Rotary engine



June 24, 1930. w. s. SULLIVAN 1,756,005

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Aug. 2, 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll I. I I 4 HH 'HIIIH 1 mlliam JJ'ulk'wn "June 24, 1930. w. s. SULLIVAN 1,766,005

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Aug. 2, 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Killian JJuIliI/an June 24, 1930. w. s. SULLIVAN ROTARY ENGINE Filed Aug. 2, 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,jwwnto? W'llllmllullimn June 24, 1930.

W. S. SULLIVAN ROTARY ENGINE Filed Aug. 2, 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 w W a M m W. S. SULLIVAN ROTARY ENG IN E Fi led Aug. 2', 1926 'r Sheets-Sheet 5 MllianJJullivan June 24, 1930.

June 24, 1930. w. s. SULLIVAN ROTARY ENGINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 2, 1926 gwmmto'c Ildll'aaJM/lban arm wuf W. S. SULLIVAN ROTARY ENGINE June 24, 1930.

Filed Aug. 2. 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES WILLIAM SHAGKELFORD SULLIVAN, OI PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB OF FORTY-FIVE PER CENT TO JAMES G.

COLUMBIA ROTARY Application filed August 2,

The invention relates to rotary engines and has as an object the provision of an engine of this character which may be 0perated upon the combustion principle by combustion of a mixture of a fluid fuel and It is an object of the invention to provide an improvement upon the form ofvdevice shown in my Patent No. 1,588,632, of June 15, 1926. i

It is a further object of the invention to provide an engine which works upon the expanding chamber principle rather than upon the reactance principle as in the case of the invention described and claimed in my former patent referred to.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an engine presentingtwo concentric discs having relative rotation and placed side by side, there being provided between said discs an annular expansion chamber housing a single moving part.

It is a further object .of the invention to provide an engine utilizing a pre-compressed explosive mixture, power from which is derived from the expansion attendant upon its combustion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide water cooling and means for lubrication of the device. I

it is a further object of the invention to provide an engine which may be readily disassembled, and wherein the wearing parts may be readily replaced.

It is a further object of the invention to reduce the heat losses to the cooling medium as compared with such losses in reciprocating engines. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide an engine having balanced forces.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an engine in which the period of greatest expansion power is utilized in providing torque and wherein the volume of the expansion chamber increases uniformly with the rotation. 4

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifica- GUMMING, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 01 ENGINE 1926. Serial No. 126,616.

tion and showing anillustrative embodimen]; of the invention wherein:

1 1g. 1 1s a side elevation from the rotor s1de of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation from the stator s1de of the invention;

e F 1g. 3 1s a central vertical section taken on l ne 3-3 of Fig. 1;

F 1g. 1 is a vertical section on line 44 of 1 1g. 3 taken in the direction of the arrow;

Flg. 5 1s a slde elevation upon an enlarged scale of the cam;

Fig. 6 1s a detail section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 upon a still further enlarged scale;

t F g. 7 1s a detail elevation of a water fit- Fl 1g. 8 is a detail section on line 8-8 of 1g. 9 1s a vertical section on line 99 of F1g. 3

a Fig. 10 is a detailsection on line 10-10 of 1g. 9 upon anenlarged scale;

F 1g. 11 is a detail vertical section on an enlarged scale on line 1111 of Fig. 3; V

Fig. 12 is an inner face view of the stator, the shaft of the rotor being also shown, in section;

Figs. 13 and 14 are detail sections upon an enlarged scale on the corresponding lines of Fig. 12, omitting the water jacket;

Fig. 15 is a detail section on an enlarged scale on line 1515 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 16 is an inner face view of the stator water jacket;

Figs. 17 and 18 are detail sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig. 3;

Fig. 19 is a side elevation of the shaft of the device;

Fig. 20 is an end view from the left of Fig. 19; I

F igs.21 and 22 are detail sections on the corresponding lines of Fig. 19;

Fig. 23 is a side elevation of the movable piston;

Fig. 24 is a bottom plan view of the movable piston;

Fig. 25 is a side elevation of the combustion chamber separated from the rotor;

' having annular plate 46 is secured as by means of 'disc '46.

of Fig. on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 27 is a transverse section on line 2727 of Fig. 24, and V Fig. 28 is a detail section correspondm to a portion of Fig. 3 show ng a modifie form. e

'As shown, the detu'ce comprises two main elements, a stator indicated'm general at 30 and a rotor 'likewiseindicated at 31 the latter sup rted upon a revoluble shaft 32 and secure thereon as by means of lock nuts 33. To reduce friction the shaft 32 is indicated as turning in ball bearings 34, 85 designed to take thrust as well as hear ng st. To this end, the shaft 32 is shown as provided with an enlargled part 36 providmg shoulders against w ich the races of the bearings impinge and the stator is shown as provided with a hub 37 supported by legs 38.

The stator further comprises. a disc 39 having screwthreaded engagement at. 40

with the hub 37, said disk having openings throu h which a compressed mixture of air and uel may be fed to the combustion chamber or chambers 41 mounted in the rotor. Through other openings in the disc 39, the s ark p ug or spark plugs 42 are provide so as to fire the explosive mixture when the combustion chamber comes op 0- site thereto, it being understood that a tlming apparatus, not shown, is provided ,to cause the-spark at the correct lnstant.

.The rotor is shown as comprising a hub 43 having a shoulder 44 to abut against a complemental shoulder on the shaft 32 and an annular flange 45 to Wl11Ch an ca screws 47. I

he plate 46 is shown as carrying antannular ring 48 upon its edge adapted to 811-. close one side of the combustion and exhaust chambers and a second rin 49 closing the remaining side of said c ambers, which' ring is interrupted, as shown in Fig. 4, for accpmmodation of the movable piston and the outlet nozzle from V the combustion chambers 41.

The rotor further comprises an annular disc 50 shown as formed integral with an annular hub 51 which is secured to the hub 43 by the cap screws 47 in common with the The face of the disc 50 is to be adjusted so as to revolve closely adjacent the inner face of the stator disc 39' with a very slight clearance into which clearance lllbl'lcation is fed by means to be described.

The disc 50 is of less diameter than the internal diameter of the ring 48. The disc 50 has an opening or openings 51' for assage of the fuel to the explosion cham rs 41 and for giving access 0 the spark from plugs 42 when said opening comes opposite the same. At other times the opening 51 dogged by its proximity to the face of the To prevent leakage from the explosion chambers 41, a pair of rings 52 are placed in registering grooves in t e faces of the discs 39 and 50 and other rings 53 of smaller diameter in like grooves.

The rings 52, 53 aresplit rings of the nature of well-known iston rin and are so fabricated that one nng of eac pair will tend to contract slightly while the remainin ring will tend to expand slightly.

0 seal the clearance between the disc 39 and the edge of the annular ring 48, piston rings are indicated at 54 seating against a shoulder in the rin 48 and in a groove in the disc 39. 'At this point there are indicated four piston rings and it is desirable to so fabricate these rings that alternate rings thereof will tend to expand and the remaining to contract, it being understood that these also are split ri To enclose the ex los1on chambers 41 there is shown a separa le element, detailed in Figs. 25, and 26, comprising a hollow body 55, the outer wall 56 of which is formed upon an arc fitting within the ring 49 and indicated in Fig. 4 as secured thereto by cap screws 57,58. To permit of the placing of the cap screws 58, openings 59 are indicated in the wall 60 of the body 55 which may be closed watertight by means of plugs after the application of the cap screws 58. e

The bod 55 further comprises an inner substantial y cylindrical wall 61 extending into walls 62, 63, to provide a nozzle 64 from which the products of combustion may I escape into the expansion chamber of the rotor.

The body 55 further comprises an inner wall 65 complete over the entire portion of the body with the exception of a circular o ening 66 for ingress of the explosive c arge and access of the spark thereto.

An outer wall 68, havingan opening 67 for admission of water, completes the body 55 providing a water-tight chamber for water coolingof the explosion chamber to be described.

The end wall 69 of the chamber. is provided with a screwthreaded outlet openin 70 for egress of water from the interior 0 the body 55.

A movable piston is shown at 71,. Figs. 4, 23, and 24, comprising a leaf 72 shown as formed at its free end with portions at 73, 74, standin at an angle to the main portion 72 and as aving a cylindrical pivotal portion 7 5 formed integral therewith and also a sealing flange 76. To receive the pivot 75, the body 55 is shown as formed with a journal 77 into which thepivot may be slipped longitudinally when the rotor is disassembled, the body 55 also being a groove 78. to receive the Hrovided with ange 76, the

following groove and flange being formed upon arcs of the circle concentric with the center of the ivot 75. I

T e movable piston 71 will be moved outwardly against the interior 'of the ring 48 both b centrifugal force and by the expansion 0 propulsive gases and serve to close one side of the expansion chamber provided in the space between rings 48 and 49. To close the remaining side of this ring, a member 79 is provided which is shown 1n detail in Figs. 5 and 6. This member is shown as formed of an arcuate body and is preferably made hollow as shown in Fig. 6 for the introduction ofa cooling medium to be described. The ends 80, 81 are formed tapering so as to act as cams to close piston 71 and to cushion its opening. The outer arouate surface of the cam fits against the surface of the ring 49 and the inner surface of the cam, between the tapering ends, fits against the ring 48 whereb to prevent leakage of the products of com ustion.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the body 79 is formed with a flange 82, which flange is adapted to seat in a groove in disc 39, as disclosed in Fig. 13. To secure the body'to the disc 39, cap screws 83 are utilized.

Two bodies 88, two explosion chambers, and two pistons are shown. This number is preferred since the forces of two explosion's occurring simultaneously u on diametrically opposite points will ba ance the forces about the shaft 32. However a larger number may be used if desired, or a single exlosion chamber. The determining factor 1n the number of explosion chambers isthe linear travel of the piston after the explosion takes place before the exhaust port is expanded. In a motor of large diameter therefore a greater number than two might be advantageous, but in a motor of small size only one explosion chamber could be used to derive the full value from the fuel.

To exhaust gases, there are shown in Fig. 12, exhaust openings 84 in the stator and exhaust pipe fittings 85 are shown in Fig. 2 for connection of the exhaust pipes 86' thereto. When the pistons travel passes the exhaust opening 84, the gases will flow out of the ports 84 over the edge of disc 50 and will be" swept out of this opening by the iston 71 having an expanding charge behind it. 4

To cool the walls of the explosion chamber, there are shown pipes 87 in communication with water fittings 88 secured by means of cap screws 89 to the outer face of the rotor, the rotor being formed with openings 90, communicating with the interior of the water fitting 88, admitting water through the openings 67 in the body 55 from which point the water circulates about the cylindrical wall 61 through the opening and escapes through pipes 91 to channels 92 formed in the shaft 32, and by means-of an annular groove 93 in the hub 37, the water is drawn off through an outlet pipe 94.

o admit 'water to the central bore 95 in the bait 32, the structure shown in Figs. 3, 17, 18, and 19 is'provided. As there shown,

' the reduced end 97 of the shaft 32 is formed with radial openings communicating with the bore 95.

A lock nut 99 screws upon the reduced portion 97 and is provided with an annular groove 103 communicating with a second arcuate slot 102 formed in a cover plate 104 bolted to the hub 37 by means of cap screws 105.

Portions of the material of lock nut 99 are left at 99' to support the ring otherwise severed from the lock nut 99 by the formation of the groove and slots therein.

The cover plate 104 is provided with a box 106 formed integral therewith to which a water supply pipe 107 is connected.

To make the joint between the cover plate 104 and the revolving parts, watertight, there are shown packing rings 108 seating in complementary grooves in the cap 104 and in member 99 and a second pair of grooves 109 seating in grooves in plate 104 and in the reduced end of shaft 32 respectively.

Oil ducts 110, 111 are desirably provided for lubrication of the rings, a stufling box 112 is indicated and a grease groove 113 upon the interior. of the center circular box 114 carried by the cover plate 104.

To cool the disk 39, there is. shown a water jacket in the form of a disc 115, the inner face View of which is shown in Figure 16, which disc is formed with an angular flange about its periphery and is secured to disc 39 by means of cap screws 116. To admit water to the water jacket, an inlet pipe is indicated at 117 and an outlet pipe at 118, which pipes are shown as secured to the disc by means of flanged fittings and cap screws 119, 120. I

.The inlets for fuel are shown as surrounded by annular bosses 121 and the exhaust openings are shown as elongated slots 122 bounded by flanges 123, 124. In Figure 16, the inlet opening in the jacket for admission of water is shown at, 125 and the outlet opening at 126.

To cause water in the jacket to flow completely around the stator before passing to the outlet at 126, there is shown a bafile 127 in the form of a radial flange which completely divides the water jacket at this point. It is desired to cause the water during its circulation to flow through the interior of the cams 79 which have been described as hollow for such purpose. To this end, the cams are each provided with an inlet opening 128 and outlet openings 129,

Ind

a portion of the water to flow to a point ad-' jacent the hottest end of the cam before escaping therefrom.

3 To cause the cooling water to circulate well about the spark lugs there are shown baflies 140, 141to de ect the water at these points. V

' To lubricate the facing surfaces of disc 39 and disc 50, as well as the bearing 34, the piston rings 52, 53, and 54, and the movable piston 71, there is shown a lubr cat on 1nlet at v,142 to which an desirable fitting may be applied, a channe being provided to connect this opening with an annular groove 143 from which oil may have free access to the ball bearing 34.

To convey oil from the groove 143 there are shown, particularly in Fig. 9, radial grooves 144, 145 adapted to allow ml to flow outwardly therein, whlch flow will be assisted by centrifugal force.

To conduct the bulk of the 011 past the ,groove accommodating ring 53,'a plate 1s desirably set into the grooves 144, 145, flush with the surface of the disc and under th1s plate, through the surface of which the ring.

ve for rings 53 is carried, channels are If the grooves 144, 145 were continuous,

the oil therein would escape freely into the,

explosion chambers 41 when they pass. the grooves during the rotation of the rotor.

To close the grooves to these explosion chambers and to still permit oil to pass this zone, the oves are deepened or offset as indicated 1n Figure 10 and a circular plug 146 is set' into the disc 39 flush with the face thereof, preferably being secured therein by screw] threads about its periphery.

- To feed oil to the pivot of the movable abutment 71, there is shown in Fig. 9, a groove146' extending circumferentially of the 'rotor to an oil passage 147 passing through the disc 50 in alignment with the opening 148 in the center of the pivot 75, the abutment 71 having a grove 149 in communication with said opening to the surface of the pivot, which groove in turn communicates with grooves 150 and 151 extending longitudinally in the edge of the piston. A passage 152 is also provided in the body of the iston communicatin with the passage 153 m the flange 76, whic passage has outspace 16 lets 154 and 155 opening to the surface of the flange 76. Y Y

As shown in Fig. 13, the groove 146. is in communication with a passage 156 opening into the groove for ring 52 and extending behind the base of cam 79'to communicate with the groove for ring 54. Passing among the rings 54, the-oil obtains access to the groove 157 from which it "may escape through openin the bottom of 1g. 3, to which ning a fitting not shown, may be applie and if desire suction means may be a plied thereto. To lubricate the surfaces 0 cam 79, there are shown. grooves 159 (Fig. 12) which at certain periods of rotation w1ll be in registry with groove 146, (Fig. 9). which grooves 159 arein communication with passages 160, 161 leading to passages 162, 163 extending into the walls of cam 79 (Fig. and opening to the surface thereof whereby to supply lubricant to the surface of the cam.

After the explosion of fuel by means of the spark plug 42, the cavity in the stator into which the spark plu opens will be full of burned gases which, i allowed to remain therein, would slow down the firingof the subsequent charge. To remove such as, a

1 groove is provided in the stator, as s own at 164, Fig. 12, which groove is covered with a plate 165 to form a closed passage and a slot 166 is provided opening throu h thickness of the rotor so 50, wher iy the burned ases may be discharged into the in the rotor andfinally allowed to escape through breathing holes 168 in the disc 46.

To provide a supply of fresh gas to the space about the spar plugs there are shown grooves 169 in the disc which at a certain portion of the revolution of the rotor provide a communication between the inlet for fuel under pressure and the cavity about the spark plug whereby when the supply of combustible material flows into the ex 10- sion chamber a supply will also flow into escaping from groove 93, there are shown,

annular grooves 172 and 173, to which a sup 1y of heavy grease may be fed by means 158 of the stator shown at i the V of ttings, not shown, furnished upon openings 174 and 175, or openings 176, 177 or both such openings. -An alternative form of the rim of the invention. is shown in Fig. 28, wherein the 8 disc 39 is extended and thrust rings 178, 179

are shown, the former being bolted to the disc 39 and the latter to the extended flange 180 carried by ring 48. Races for friction reducing balls 181 may be provided in the rings 178, .179, and the rin s and balls may be assembled and one of t e rings maybe secured to its part prior to the application of the rotor to the stator, after which the remaining ring may be secured to the other part. In this manner, an thrust tending to separate therotor an stator Wlll be taken by the bearing between the rings. In this event, an oil groove 182 is provided in the disc 39 from which the oil may be taken to the bottom of the stator in the manner already described.

The piston 71 is shown in Figures 24, 27, as provided with grooves 183, 184 and grooves 185, 186 staggered therewith so that upon expansion of the piston, the skirt of these grooves may yield, providing a resilient reaction of the piston against the ad jacent walls of the stator and rotor.

The operation of the device is briefly as follows: Fuel will be admitted to the explosion chamber 41 when the piston 71 is closed by the cam 79 and will be ignited at the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 thus building up pressure at the nozzle 64-prior to release of the piston by the cam. This pressure will assist centrifugal force in the opening of the piston and the gases will then flow through the nozzle into the annular chamber. By virtue of groove 169 in the face of the stator the cavity about the spark plug will be supplied with fuel to effect a more ready ignition of the charge and burned gases will be discharged from this cavity through passage 164. The burning gases will expand in the annular chamber until the piston opens the discharge ports 84 just prior to the closure of the piston by the succeeding cam 79, and the burned gases will be swept out of the annular chamber through the port 84 by the next following piston having expanding gases behind i Obviously the structure described may be used as a 'steam or compressed air invention, in which event the spark plugs would be omitted and the fluid under pressure would be admitted to the explosion chambers and the supply immediately cut off,

during the continued rotation of the rotor, the fluid then acting by expansion until exhausted. In this event the openings 51 and 66 might, if desired, be elongated to retard the cut off and to use a less expansion of fluid and a greater admission thereof to vantages of the super charger sometimes used with reciprocating engines.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the invention within the scope of the appended claims without de arting from the spirit thereof.

l claim:

1. A rotary engine comprising, in combination, a stator having an axis and a face substantially perpendicular thereto, a rotor mounted .to revolve about said axis and having a face revoluble closely adjacent said face of the stator and having an annular chamber and an explosion chamber opening to said face, a movable iston mounted in a wall of the chamber a apted to close said chamber to form one side of an expansion chamber, means carried by said stator and projecting into said chamber to form a second side of an expansion chamber, said faces having inlet ports adapted to come into registry with said explosion chamber during revolution of the rotor, a supply pipe for combustible fluid secured to the stator in communication with its inlet port, said stator face having an exhaust ort opening into said annular chamber a apted to exhaust the products of combustion when passed by said piston.

2. A rotary engine comprisin in combination, a stator and a rotor havmg circular faces relatively revoluble in close proximity,

to introduce oil into the axial end of said 3. A rotary engine comprising, in combination, a stator and a rotor havin faces relatively revoluble, said rotor having an explosion chamber opening to its face, said stator face having an inlet port and a spark plug cavity adapted to register in turn with the explosion chamber, said rotor face having a groove adapted to place said port and cavity in communication prior to registry of said cavity and chamber, said rotor face having an exhaust slot radially offset from the zone of the cavity and the stator face having a passage in communication with the cavity an opening to the face of the stator in the zone of the slot.

4. A rotary engine comprising, in combination, a stator having an axis and a face substantially perpendicular thereto, a rotor mounted on said axis and having a face revolving closely adjacent the face of said stator, said rotor having an annular chamber opening through its face, a stationary element carried by the stator projecting into said chamber to obstruct the same at one point, a movable element carried b the rotor adapted to be moved into said amber to obstruct the same at a second point, said rotor provided with an explosion 1 chamber 0 ening to said face and to said annularc amber, said stator provided with a port to admit an explosive mixture to said explosion chamber and with means to igmte said mixture. I

5. "A rotary engine comprisin in-combi nation, a stator, a rotor mounte to revolve closely adjacent a face of said stator having-an annular chamber, a movable piston hinged to the rotor adapted to obstruct a portion of said chamber and urged toobstructing position by centrifugal force, station'ary means projecting into the chamber to obstruct a second portion thereof coacting with said piston to enclose an expansiblechamber, said rotor carrying an ex losion chamber opening into the thus close space below said piston in its retracted position, and having an inlet port, said stator havin a port adapted to 'come into re istry wit said inlet port to deliver an exp osive mixture thereto and means to ignite the mixture in said explosion chamber, while the piston is held in retracted position by said stationary means whereby pressure of the products of combustion aid centrifugal force in opening said piston to. chamber closing position.

' WILLIAM SHACKELFQRD SULLIVAN. 

